Churchill, Manitoba

[CaptainYooh]

Thinking of traveling to Churchill, Manitoba to photograph polar bears.
Questions to those who've been there:

• What's the best time and best way to travel there?
• Best places to stay?
• Useful travel tips & advice?
• I heard it's very pricey. Why?

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Thinking of traveling to Churchill, Manitoba to photograph polar bears.
Questions to those who've been there:

• What's the best time and best way to travel there?
• Best places to stay?
• Useful travel tips & advice?
• I heard it's very pricey. Why?

There's only one way to get there as far as i know and that is by air. No roads and the rail line was washed out and has not been fixed.

[CaptainYooh]

Just checked prices. Flights from Winnipeg to Churchill are $1,650/ticket. 5-day tours are in a $6,000 to $10,000/pp range... Wow...

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Just checked prices. Flights from Winnipeg to Churchill are $1,650/ticket. 5-day tours are in a $6,000 to $10,000/pp range... Wow...

I believe you can get the tickets from Winnipeg on Air Miles, making it one of the best $/mile values in that program.

[Johnny199r]

I’ve been to Churchill for work. The best time is the fall, that’s when polar bears are around in big numbers, as they wait for the ice to freeze up.

The only way to get there is to fly from Winnipeg or maybe Thompson.Flights are not cheap. The train tracks are washed out.

Churchill is insanely expensive. There’s no reason to go there for more than 1-2 days. It’s quite tiny and boring, beyond the polar bears and the beluga whales in the summer. Tourist season is also the very expensive season.

Churchill is insanely cold. The wind whipping off the Hudson’s Bay along with the already cold air masses.

My advice is that unless you’re very rich, don’t go. It is poor value for money.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

I’ve been to Churchill for work. The best time is the fall, that’s when polar bears are around in big numbers, as they wait for the ice to freeze up.

The only way to get there is to fly from Winnipeg or maybe Thompson.Flights are not cheap. The train tracks are washed out.

Churchill is insanely expensive. There’s no reason to go there for more than 1-2 days. It’s quite tiny and boring, beyond the polar bears and the beluga whales in the summer. Tourist season is also the very expensive season.

Churchill is insanely cold. The wind whipping off the Hudson’s Bay along with the already cold air masses.

My advice is that unless you’re very rich, don’t go. It is poor value for money.

Thanks Debbie Downer

[Mathalete]

Flights there can be had at a bargain if you buy ahead of time. I regularly use the same airline (CalmAir) to fly from Flin Flon to Winnipeg. Flights at regular price will be $1500 but at sale price could easily drop to the $600 mark. You are likely flying out of Winnipeg to get there (I'm not sure Thompson gets you there).

The airline is always delayed. So be prepared for that.

I have never been there, but I've spoken to those who have. It is a beautiful place to go for the polar bears and whales. There's a reason why people come from all over the world to one of Manitoba's crown jewels It is on my bucket list to get there at some point.

Because of the washed out rail lines, food will be insanely expensive there, but the sad thing is, the residents see that price every day If the only way to get food there is by plane (and only so much can go at a time), the prices for basic produce (as an example) will be sky high.

Winter is very severe there in terms of snow and temperature.

I do believe that October is a great time to go to for the polar bears.

I think some tours are pricey, but it would pay to talk to people in the community. Heck, even call the school there (it's in my school division). Ask the locals what tours they recommend and then try them. I'm betting that the prices aren't all as crazy as the ones you found.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Nm.

[TheAlpineOracle]

There used to be a company that ran tours out Of Calgary to Thompson. I looked into it once. Was nowhere near the prices you were indicating. I believe it was just a day trip though. You may want to look into that.

[nieuwy-89]

Churchill, Manitoba, is the closest settlement to the geographic centre of Canada. In High School I wrote an essay arguing that Churchill should be the nation’s Capital, based on that fact.

Yet another reason why teenagers should not be allowed to vote.

[Slanter]

Originally Posted by Torture

Thanks Debbie Downer

Everything he said is true. This was a thread looking for advice... How are you helping?

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Just checked prices. Flights from Winnipeg to Churchill are $1,650/ticket. 5-day tours are in a $6,000 to $10,000/pp range... Wow...

If it costs that much, why not go to Antarctica instead? Polar bears are cool, but this replaces them with seals, penguins, whales, icebergs, and being in an insanely remote place:

https://www.quarkexpeditions.com/en/...nt/dates-rates

[CaptainYooh]

Going to Antarctica is at the very top of my bucket list for all of reasons you've mentioned. But that's much more expensive. Trip for two will easily run into $20k without any excesses. A couple I know paid close to $40k for a higher end trip.

[Northendzone]

Too bad the rail line is washed out, travelling by airplane is so savage compared to the train. I would also think the train would cut thru areas that are not easily accessible.

I’d like to go and see Churchill. I find it interesting to think that people live in an area where you can’t just drive someplace. The remoteness is fascinating.

[HockeyIlliterate]

AMA used to, and may still, run day trips from Calgary to Churchill. A few years ago the price wasn't $6k, but it wasn't $750 either.

[looooob]

Went there once for work in the middle of the winter- not sure what it’s like on the moon but i pictured walking through Churchill in the pitch black and cold on the crunching snow would be as close
As I will ever get

[Canehdianman]

The government is about to sure the rail line owner for not repairing the line.

https://www.google.ca/amp/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4354131

Probably best to wait until the rail line is repaired.

[Alpaca]

Classic Canadian tours $1785 plus $89.25 taxes. We went a number of years ago, saw lots of Polar bears, up close, they take you out in the Tundra buggy.

[FurnaceFace]

I’ve been there on a tour. We stayed in a lodge, which was really a bunch of Atco like trailers out in the middle of bear country. We would spend part of the day at the lodge watching the bears that hung out around the lodge and the other part of the day in the polar rovers driving around. It was an awesome time, highly recommend it. It’s pretty special as you go to bed to look out your window and look down on the bears.

We were there in October when the bears hand out by the water waiting for the bay to freeze over to go hunting. I believe the season is running close to an end as things will freeze up Novemberish. The weather in October was cool but nothing we aren’t used to. We went through Natural Habitat which supplied boots and coats as they are used to Americans who might not have the gear.

I forget what the cost was. It wasn’t cheap but worth it. It was also much cheaper than Antarctica. Both trips I’d say just do, the money is worth it.

My pics
http://www.stadevene.com/Canada/Polar-Bears/

(we were early October, managed to beat the snow)

[CaptainYooh]

Great pics, FurnaceFace! I've heard from several sources now that October is the best time to visit. Will start planning a trip for next year.